Posted By:
Gilbert Maines“Recently, i was the high bidder on a couple of pre-war graded lots, from a relatively well known auction house ….. both items have been tampered with.
What i am suspicious of, is holders being broken open, and cards being switched ……. (~$450) changed hands
I spoke with the auction house today, and they didn't seem terribly interested in fixing things.
They stated that there was no refund on graded cards”
In my opinion, as confidence in the legitimacy of the hobby’s product erodes, collectors will seek out more secure avenues for fun and investment. Brian’s observation is not directed to highly graded rare cards, by any means. Cards in the $200-300 range cross our table more frequently than they formerly did.
And further, my thinking is that a seller who does not stand behind the legitimacy of what he sells, has just committed professional suicide.
But this is not acceptable to me. I prefer to continue to collect baseball cards. And I know that the longevity of this hobby is predicated on this hobby’s ability to attract new collectors.
EBay is a mine field for persons without significant experience. Auction houses do not accept returns on misadvertised phony graded cards? Who would play roulette if the wheel was rigged?
We need the card cops. This is getting out of hand. Or maybe I am overreacting. Yes, that must be it. Why should I think that I have a right to get what I pay for?